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100

WindowsGameGenie

Overall, this is the best 3D shooter since Unreal. I'm a sucker for games that reinvent old concepts. And bring their own bag of tricks to the field. This is the first game that allows you to experience excellent dialogue, story, and game play. Something that unfortunately some companies leave behind in the rush to release their title. Everything, in this game caught my attention. I have not been able to put it down yet. The only fault is the enemy AI, which is fixed in the patch that was released. So Shogo deserves all it's due, it lived up to the hype and then some.

So the barrage of 3D titles is well underway. Who knows what will happen in the next few months, and who knows how Shogo will hold up against future competition. What I do know is the here and now, and how Shogo compares to the current lot. For those titles, I've got a little friendly advice; Sit down Shodan, take a dive Duke, get back in your prison cell Mr. Unreal, move over space marine -- Shogo has arrived. I'm not saying things can't get better, but for now this is as good as it gets. So where does Shogo rank amongst all the games I've played, through all the years, the genres, the classics, the memories? Let's just say it's on the short list, the very short list.

If there is any justice in the world Shogo will be looked back on as one of the best 3D games of its time. Personally speaking, apart from Half-Life, Shogo is the best game I've played this year. I finished it in two days on the easiest setting, and I'm definitely going to go back and do it on the hardest level there is. Who knows, with a bit of luck I'll finish it before the sequel comes out.

Still, this is one of the coolest first-person-shooters ever to be released. The only real competition this year has been Unreal, and there are problems with the multiplayer there, too. Still the question remains: Will Sanjuro dump Kathryn when he finds out that Kura is alive? Will there be violence? Will bar ladies die? Will toll both Willie come out of the Boooooooth? Play the game and you'll find out.

The first-person action genre is getting set to peak next year, and Monolith is showing the way forward in style. Though I would’ve like to have seen more longevity in the single-player game, Shogo’s exciting levels and fast-paced action results in a back-to-basics blast-fest that no self-respecting gamer should pass up.

Regardless, Shogo is a great game with a fantastic storyline, complex missions, and lots of mindless destruction, carnage and explosions. If you're looking for a mind-blowing single player experience, Shogo will not disappoint.

Shogo shows that the 3D action genre still has some unexplored depth to it. A rich storyline and some interaction with other characters makes for much more than a brainless shooter. If you're looking for a 3D action game with a story and real depth, check out Shogo. Bottom Line: Excellent graphics, phenomenal music, and a decent story to boot. Much more than a brainless shooter, Shogo features characters that you'll really get to know. Long load times are a little disappointing, and if you're into multiplayer be sure to download the patch.

Remember Face/Off, where we had John Travolta acting as Nicholas Cage acting as John Travolta? Not many people could've pulled it off, and the overall effect was marvelous and even humorous, if a little creepy at times. The same could be said of Monolith's Shogo: Mobile Armor Division, a first-person paean to the wonky worlds of Japanese anime; it's a slightly Americanized spin on a Japanese genre.

Many 3D shooters are coming out these days. There are decent ones, there are good ones, and there's sheer, utter crap, of which, unfortunately, there's the largest number. Paraphrasing a columnist in PC Gamer, 'As far as I'm concerned, most 3D shooters out there can be taken, burn on CD, and then that CD can be burnt' (he was talking about level addons). However, there are always a few gems in the dust - Duke, Jedi Knight, then Unreal, and now Shogo: Mobile Armor Division. (I'm not mentioning Quake since, much as I don't like that, it pretty much is the plank to which everything has to measure up, for whatever reason).

With Shogo, Monolith has proven that it can do first-person games right. Shogo not only provides the action, it does it with a plot and an artistic flair not often seen in today's games. If you’re looking for a great game that gives you something different from all the others on the shelves, check this one out. Anime fans will love the feel of the game, and there’s plenty of action for FPS junkies. I can’t wait to see what Monolith comes up with next.

These days, everyone's talking about sequels: Doom III, Half Life 2, Rainbow 6: Operation Maximum Steveocity. Yeah, look, all these first person shooters are great and all, but none of them come close to being the first person shooter I REALLY want to see redone, and that's Shogo: Mobile Armor Division. My first impression was that it looked like garbage. There's nothing that grates against me more than someone with an utter lack of creativity coming in and trying to capitalize on someone else's really cool style and ideas; that's generally the first image that pops in my head when I think of an American company deciding to make a first person shooter with robots and anime-styled characters.

If you don’t mind — or if you want — a game that rushes headlong into action, Shogo will entertain. Its quality visuals and amusing tone will propel gamers ahead. Just remember that Shogo isn’t concerned with pacing; if you need a break from the gameplay, go outside.

The first time somebody asked me if I had played Shogo-MAD I wasn't even sure what type of game it was. But I ran into more and more intriguing previews on the net and finally broke down and downloaded the whopping 40+ meg demo. After about two and a half hours of downloading on a crappy modem connection, I finally launched the demo. To my surprise the graphics were awesome--and walking around a city in a 30' mecha was pretty darned enjoyable, too. I was also impressed to see that the missions were not only mecha based--you could also do some destruction on foot. So when the full version of Shogo-MAD was released I didn't hesitate to grab a copy. What initially drew me to this game were the graphics and the fact that it seemed to have a decent storyline--something which has been lacking in far too many FPS (First Person Shooters). In Shogo, you are Sanjuro, a commander in the UCASF.

Though you don’t need to be an anime hound to appreciate Shogo, it may help. The in-game plot summary sequences are well-done, and the dialogue and voice acting is usually entertaining, and sometimes hilarious. (Make sure you let the credits roll until the end. It’s worth it.) This is a bit of an embarassment of riches, though, as the single-player game is way too short. I finished it within 10 hours of play. A moral choice about 2/3 of the way through the game provides a little replayability, but it’s the only real choice in the game. Multiplayer fans will enjoy one extra tidbit: Since Shogo and another Monolith title Blood II: The Chosen share the same engine, they can also be meshed together in multiplay. Just don’t let a friend play as a colossal robot while you’re stuck as some dude with a pistol.

Shogo: MAD is a fun distraction. It's not your run-of-the mill first person shooter, but it's not exactly bleeding edge, either. This has its pros and cons: the system requirements allow for a greater range of hardware, but the game lacks the panache of some of the eye-candy we've become accustomed to (Q3, anyone?). Still, it's nice to have an attempt at a plotline, and it's a welcome addition to the limited game choices anime fans have for their PCs, much less Macs. Filled with some great aspects and some not-so-great aspects simultaneously -- If you like anime, Shogo: MAD is for you. If anime's not your thing, Shogo's not the best first person shooter in a saturated market, but it's still pretty good.

Monolith has taken these issues to heart and is promising a point release that will clean up the Al and make the multiplayer game more efficient. What this means is that SHOGO was slightly rushed to stores. Other than the technical issues that are being covered by the patch, I only have minor issues with the game. What we ultimately have is a game that could have gotten an Editors’ Choice had it been tested thoroughly. By the time you read this, however, the patch should be out—assuming it’s not vaporware (but I have some faith in Monolith). So, if you’re willing to download a patch, you’ll find SHOGO a shooter filled with lots of style, substance, and charm. Those without Internet connections or who just don’t like patches will find a game that could have been great, but was premature in birth.

70

MacintoshMac Gamer

Shogo is a nice FPS with an interesting plot and enough variety to justify buying it - preferably at a discount. If you like Japanese anime, however, this one is a must.

If I had to put my finger on it (and it's the last paragraph, so I do) I would say that Shogo feels like a game for anime fans made by people who really didn't think much of anime. "Anime" here seems more like a license for goofy camp. There's very little emotional impact to the story, and so many plot twists that you wonder if it's supposed to be farce. Even Monolith themselves blow off the story in the ending credits (by way of a flippant summary of its events for street cred - watch the credits, you'll see). Whatever the reason, it doesn't tell a story well, and while I appreciate that it does at least try, it still falls deep into classic game conventions. The game powering this plot is further flawed, with short mech areas that fail to impress, and on-foot corridor shooting that could have come from any other FPS on the market. Tries to be different, ends up being exactly the same.